


Inmate 6-21

by HQ_Wingster



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - Prison, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Background Relationships, Be Careful What You Wish For, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Crimes & Criminals, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Hinata Shouyou, If you only read one work by me, Missing in Action, Multi, One-Sided Attraction, Pandora's Box, Undercover Missions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-24
Updated: 2017-08-01
Packaged: 2018-12-06 10:36:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11598879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HQ_Wingster/pseuds/HQ_Wingster
Summary: Convicted of a crime that he did not commit, Hinata Shoyo is sent to an “inescapable” prison. However, there is a loophole to freedom. If he gains enough points from fighting others, he can buy himself a one-way-ticket to Innocence.





	1. Convicted

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cereal_whore](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cereal_whore/gifts).



> DateTechHigh is a fictional fanfic account for Futakuchi Kenji in [Who's It Gonna Be](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11564166/chapters/25979037). Yes, I created a pseud for a fictional character so that they can post fanfic. _Strange?_ You bet it is, but it's also going to be somewhat entertaining for me because I get to try different writing styles. _Galore!_

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first lie they tell you: "I'm innocent"

_ They only feed you enough to keep you alive. _

 

No phrase was truer to Hinata until a guard placed a meal before his feet. A coarse, wooden tray spilled its broken contents over the rocking floor. Left and right, chipped bowls rolled and toppled until Hinata was done playing cat-and-mouse. Holding one of the bowls gingerly, he wolfed down the rice inside. Tipping his head back as the mush slid down his throat. Next were the vegetables, wilted in a wretched pool. Hinata gulped down the sauce too. Trickles running down the corners of his mouth and over his itchy rags.

When the guard came back, she knelt down into a claustrophobic cell, pulling out the remains of Hinata’s meal. The redhead grabbed the guard’s hand, tugging the hem of the dark sleeve when she let go. The tarnished cotton scratched Hinata’s trembling fingers, but he didn’t care. He tried to speak, but his own tongue flopped around uselessly. Beyond his control. Hinata pawed at the guard’s sleeve until she snapped her fingers. The seal over Hinata’s tongue was released. Crumbling away like ashes beside a furnace.

_ “Kiyoko.”  _ Hinata’s fingers trailed down Shimizu’s sleeve. Down until Hinata could wrap his fingers between hers, holding on.  _ “I didn’t do it.”  _ The tired, old phrase collected dust over Shimizu’s ears.

She kept her distance. Dragging Hinata’s meal tray out before locking the door. A heavy, metal slab sealed off the remaining light, emitting from down the hall. Only a pale, orange glow bled into the gray and darkness as Shimizu locked Hinata in with a key. A finger at her lips when she leaned in close to the small window that separated her and Hinata.

Guard from a prisoner.  _ Friend from a former. _

“I want to believe you,” she said. The silence between them settled onto the floor of the rocking ship. “But if you keep insisting on it, I’ll have to do more than just silence your tongue.” Shimizu lowered her finger away from her lips, but Hinata watched as the finger traced down her neck. Hovering over the top of her chest, where her beating heart laid below.

Hinata gulped.

_ “I’m sorry, Shoyo.” _ Shimizu turned away. The clicks of her heels vanished into the darkness. But at least, Hinata had a small window to look through this time. About four inches high and six inches across. Just enough for him to peek out and stare at a wooden wall. Better than the steel box surrounding him, leaving bruises on his tailbone and over his ankles. There wasn’t much room to spread out, and Hinata could only manage a feeble squat when he needed to stand. To pace around, but he could only pace in a tiny circle that was no wider than a thumb space from the center of the cell.

The beginning of a mullet tickling the back of his neck, Hinata exercised his voice slowly. Shrinking closer to his door, poking his nose out to breathe in the salty sea. Mere whispers trailing out from his cell. Whispering,  _ again and again,  _ that he was sorry. That he was innocent, that he was betrayed.

_ This wasn’t Hinata’s first time behind bars. _

 

Only a fractional whole could comprehend what had happened at HQ, a few nights before.

A break-in,  _ a burglary, _ someone had snuck past all the magical defenses to get into the archive. Where thousands of books,  _ holding names of convicts, _ laid dormant below the surface. Right below the greeting desk, where Bokuto and Kuroo directed civilians and officers to their corresponding stations and posts during the daylight hours.

But on that night, Kuroo was nowhere to be found-- _ a few hours later, officers would find his unconscious body trapped inside a vending machine on the fourth floor.  _ During that night, Bokuto was fast asleep-- _ lab results later showed that he had digested a potion, dulling his senses before he even realized it. _

At two in the morning, Chief Officers Sugawara and Sawamura were called to HQ after a distress signal was activated in the downstairs archive. While Sawamura tended to Bokuto, blue flames erupted from the ends of Sugawara’s fingertips as he went under. Eyes darting back and forth across the casted shadows that illuminated all around him. On the tip of his boot was the distress-charm. Fallen and crumbled from its brothers and sisters, perched across the archive’s entrance. Sugawara pocketed the charm before blowing the tips of his fingers. Watching the blue flames scatter across the archive. Bringing light into the darkness when Sugawara ducked under all the other charms.

Keeping still in the silence. There was only one way out of the archive, and the intruder  _ knew  _ that. They must’ve  _ known  _ now as soon as Sugawara’s flames lit up the rest of the archive. Illuminating the barren walls surrounding the illicit activities and names documented for the past three centuries. All under one roof, and Sugawara wasn’t going anywhere. Perhaps, he could set off another distress signal and wait for the rest of his team to come. Flush out the intruder and lash as much sense into the criminal’s mind before they carted the person off.

It wasn’t a bad idea, but Sugawara couldn’t count on backup. He rolled back his coat’s sleeves, cracking his knuckles for an echo of noise before a flurry of footsteps snuck up on him. Fighting hand to hand, but Sugawara reached around the intruder’s neck. Pinning the criminal against his chest, but he was bitten. Sugawara hid his right hand up his sleeve, hissing. The intruder ran out. By the time Sugawara reached the surface, Sawamura nursed a bleeding wound of his own. Right below his wrist, a gash of fangs mangled out flesh. Revealing a pearly structure of bones while Sawamura healed himself. Breathing unsteadily while his body reconnected itself.

A trail of smoke, the remnants of a transportation-charm hazed over HQ’s first floor. A wispy cloud faded away. Sugawara cursed, but Sawamura told him not to fret.

Gritting between his teeth, Sawamura managed a weak smile. Motioning that Bokuto was okay, and that was enough to falter the blaze in Sugawara’s eyes. “I got a good look of who it was.”

Sugawara steadied his own breathing. “Call Moniwa from the Scouting Legion. The transportation-charm has a limit, tell him to check within a mile-radius. We’ll find this intruder.”

Sugawara lowered his hand from his sleeve, watching a cursed infection drain the power out from him. Already weakening Sugawara enough, where he could barely produce a flame of his own. Giving light to Sawamura as he poured a stingy potion over his wounds and then, tossing the rest to Sugawara so that he could use. The pricking needles that dug into Sugawara’s flesh aggravated the Chief Officer, but it was bearable enough for him to snap another flame for his own use.

“We don’t need to disturb Moniwa,” Sawamura whispered.

Sugawara narrowed his eyes.  _ “Who are we dealing with, Daichi?” _

Almost as if he couldn’t believe it himself, Sawamura let the name float. Like a curse for all the blessings that had been bestowed over HQ. Sawamura gulped back a pool of saliva.

“Shoyo,  _ Hinata Shoyo.” _


	2. Examined

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second lie they tell you: "You're going to be okay"

_For every doctor, the people in front of them are patients._

 

Hinata’s feet sunk into the earth when he got off the rocking ship. It was around midnight or perhaps, the early morning when he saw land for the first time. Taking average steps for the first time, Hinata treaded carefully over the island. Iron anklets weighed him down, rope secured around his wrist when he was forced to march forward. The only prisoner on the rocking ship, but Hinata pleaded his case one last time.

_“I’m innocent!”_

The phrase fell onto deaf ears.

One of the guards from the island slapped a wiry muzzle around Hinata’s jaws. Restraining the hinged joint that connected the lower and upper half of his skull. Enough for Hinata to make some noise, but he couldn’t speak. Let alone bite, which the guard was told about. Hinata yanked on his restraints, digging his feet into the sand. Already retaliating when it was too late to do so.

He didn’t have any powers, an _organic_ in a world overrunned by GMOs. However, Hinata already knew _all_ of that when he pursued for law-enforcement. Everyone at HQ knew that he was a _Normal,_ the only Average Joe that took care of the small jobs before stepping up to the big leagues a few years after. It was impossible for Hinata to manifest a power this late in life, but it was his word against the Chief Officers’. Sawamura had seen him escape from the archive, and both he and Sugawara were nursing scars from Hinata’s _supposed,_ poisonous bite.

The evidence was stacked against the redhead, but Hinata knew he was framed. He was innocent to the very end of his career. Just no one cared to listen. HQ carted him off to a godforsaken island in the middle of nowhere, a towering prison smack in the middle. Barely weathered away by sea or sky, resembling more like a dungeon that Hinata used to describe to his little sister when she was still told fantasy stories at night.

Kinmokusei Castle: _a name that was far too warm and cheery for such a decrepit prison._ Hinata was dragged inside, dragged past a withering courtyard that housed a few [ osmanthus ](https://e54055a024bc6fb58d47-f7df714a3b816a175961a96ef2278d84.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/13311-Orange-Tea-Olive.jpg). Fiery orange, like the festival lanterns back from Hinata’s hometown. Clumped together like a family, reminding Hinata of his own. He saw their faces one last time before a jury, before he was branded as a traitor and carted away. A blistering barcode manifested across his forehead, signaling him out as another resident for Kinmokusei Castle.

Hinata’s footsteps rocked back and forth in his mind, a mere echo as he was led through empty corridors that stretched on forever. Too dark for him to see anything, but a worrying pit weighed him down inside.

_This is it._

He was in the big house. No way of escape _unless_ someone from HQ gathered enough evidence to prove his innocence. As if that was going to happen, but Hinata held onto hope. He knew a lot of people from HQ, so it shouldn’t have been hard to prove his innocence. But the more Hinata thought about freedom, the bleaker his reality was when he was led into an examination room. Where a doctor flicked at his syringe. A heavy, gray liquid oozing out from the needle with a gentle nudge.

“You must be Hinata Shoyo.” The voice was pleasant, more pleasant than Hinata originally thought it would be. A kind face, _unweathered by the grime and gloom of the prison,_ greeted him. A sweet expression, as if the doctor was used to flaunting around _genuine_ smiles to all the sorry souls that showed up in his office. Well, Hinata counted himself lucky when he sat on a stool. As instructed by the doctor, _Doctor Akiteru._

Hinata did a few things. Showed his flexibility with some simple stretches, did some eye-tests, and he was mercifully unrestrained by his muzzle. Allowed to speak freely as Doctor Akiteru grilled him on any allergies or medical concerns that should be documented. Hinata had none, and Doctor Akiteru didn’t muzzle him.

“The guards want you to think that you’re _nothing_ here,” Akiteru explained, tossing the muzzle into a drawer behind his desk. Hinata only saw a _hint_ of what was in there, and he was suddenly very glad that he was muzzled instead.

“So you _are_ Human. Here?”

“I’ve always been Human,” Akiteru said, chuckling a bit when Hinata grew red in the face. Trying to explain himself, but Akiteru knew what the redhead meant. “Have you heard of this prison before?”

“I was an officer.” Even though he was stripped of that badge and its merits, Hinata still puffed his chest out with pride. He wasn’t going to let a prison or a framed-activity deter the justice burning in his heart. Akiteru may’ve saw that, but all those words were lurking behind a smile that was too genuine to be real. Hinata found himself weary in front of the doctor, hoping that he could leave soon. But perhaps, Akiteru had better plans since he wrestled an identification collar out from a manila envelope and asked Hinata to lift his head.

“This saves me from explaining much.”

The identification collar snapped around Hinata’s neck, tightening to fit the girth. Hinata tugged it, trying to loosen the collar. Akiteru told him it was no use. Clipboard over his lap, _l_ _egs crossed,_ Akiteru ran his thumb through a few papers. Flipping through the corners without a care in the world.

“Are you aware that escape is impossible?”

Hinata raised an eyebrow, trying to understand the sudden shift in tone. The sudden shift in topic.

There wasn’t a hint of a smile in Akiteru’s eyes when he spoke again.

“A nod or a shake, Hinata. _Choose one.”_

Hinata’s head nodded, up and down as if someone shook his neck with their bare hands. Hinata didn’t stop until Akiteru told him to, and the redhead stared at the doctor with a _new-founded_ awe. Not just in fascination because Akiteru’s power was auditory-based-- _a first encounter for Hinata--_ but in utter fear.

If Akiteru wanted to, he could force Hinata to escape from the island. Jump off from one of the cliffs that surrounded the land and drown in the whirlpools or frigid water. Or, Akiteru could order Hinata to hurt himself, mutilate his appearance beyond repair as a reminder of where he was. The doctor did neither of those things.

Akiteru merely asked simple, medical-related questions to Hinata and jotted down his findings. Was that also part of his power, or did Hinata willingly give information because Akiteru was the first kind face he had seen in a long time?

Akiteru’s smile visibly fell, realizing that Hinata had finally caught onto what was going on around here. However, hr assured the redhead that he had been genuine since the beginning, so Hinata had nothing to fear. But fear was a survival-tactic, and Akiteru was pleased that the healthy-dose coursed strongly through Hinata’s blood.

“It’s true. Once you’re here, you can’t escape. Many have tried, but it’s a bit of a hassle trying to get the bodies back.” Akiteru spoke as if he was talking about the weather. Hinata’s eyes instinctively darted towards the surgery table tucked away in the corner. An _innocuous_ looking table, but one could only imagine the corpses that were ripped open for science. Ripped open for identification before a family or police station was noted of the deceased.

Hinata didn’t realize that he wasn’t breathing until he breathed again.

_“Are you trying to scare me?”_

“Fear runs this island like an iron-fist, but there is a one-way-ticket out of here if you’re willing.”

_“Didn’t you just say--?”_

“If you’re willing to snatch freedom from others, go right ahead.” Akiteru pulled up a spare identification collar, spinning it around on the tip of his index finger. “These aren’t _just_ tracking-devices, you know. They store your battle records and the points you accumulate on this island.”

“Is this like the _Hunger Games_ or _Battle Royale?”_ The words stumbled from Hinata’s lips.

“If you treat it that way, I guess you’ll make it out of here.” Again, with the smiles. Hinata felt more at ease when Akiteru’s facial expression dropped earlier, knowing that the man was being serious _yet_ dead-honest to him. Now, it was as if the doctor was toying with Hinata, and the redhead didn’t know what to believe.

“Does the warden find it entertaining, seeing prisoners bash each other for freedom?”

“He keeps his promise.” Akiteru glanced at a folder behind him, a folder that was tucked closely against an ancient, cube-computer that could probably contact the moon if someone tried hard enough. “Someone did pay the deed, and the warden gave them a waiver.”

And just before Hinata had to leave, _to spend the night in another cell,_ Akiteru scanned the barcode stamped across the youth’s forehead. The final register that sealed Hinata’s fate to the island.

Inmate 6-21 was present and accounted for.


	3. Silhouette

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The third lie they tell you: "Nothing is sweeter than freedom"

_ “The view from the top...was something I couldn’t dare to see on my own.” _

 

There was only one currency on Kinmokusei Castle:  _ Battle Points.  _ Newbies to the prison were gifted ten points, stored in their tracking collars at all times. Expected to gain more if they wanted a one-way-ticket to freedom. Surprisingly, the point-system didn’t stir much trouble. Unless, someone was particularly hot-headed with their freedom, but those prisoners were few and far in between. Not because everyone else was weak.  _ Weak  _ was an unspoken word on the island. Anybody and everybody who was sent to the island was of the dangerous-variety. Plucked because of a misunderstanding or the evidence was stacked against them.

Hinata realized that when he slept in his cell that night. More spacious than the one on the rocking ship, but just as lonely. Even though Hinata had neighbors to his left, right, and from across. Wooden bars with a six inch gap in between, laid out in a crisscross. Styling squares for a cage-wall, but at least Hinata didn’t have to worry about the darkness anymore. There were plenty of lights hanging around outside, coloring the walkways around thousands of cells with a soft orange. A wimpy, straw-mattress and a coarse blanket was a better luxury than Hinata  _ would  _ expect in a situation like this, but he counted himself as lucky.

_ As lucky as someone could be, branded as a traitor to their own agency. _

During the early morning and during breakfast, Hinata made himself as small as possible. Okay, he was probably the shortest inmate on the island,  _ strictly-speaking as an adult.  _ However, if the redhead “made” himself invisible, he could blend into the background. Watch how the island operated, keep a lookout for the tough guys and gals, and hopefully find someone that he could snatch points from. Akiteru never  _ specified  _ how many points you would get if you won a fight, so Hinata kept himself guarded when he strolled up with his meal tray. Glancing down at the bowl of steaming porridge and glass of apple juice that were set in front of him by the sweet, cafeteria helper.

Hinata gulped.

“I-If you don’t like it, there are some om-omelettes in the back.”

Hinata looked up, meeting the eyes of the young woman-- _ who held up a plate of delicious omelettes, biting her bottom-lip in doing so. _

“Sorry.”

It was all Hinata could manage before he picked up his tray and moved on. Staying to chat would help him figure out the prison-system, but it would single him out as a newbie. That wasn’t Hinata’s plan. But even so, he glanced back at the cafeteria helper and mentally told himself to make it up to her later on. Perhaps, he could pick some of the orange flowers in the prison courtyard and present them later at lunch. As a peace offering of some sort.

Not bad, but Hinata had bigger fish to fry. Eyes darting left and right.

Just regular inmates eating their meals, talking with each other, laughing at jokes and having a good time. No discussions about points, fights, or even freedom. It was like Hinata was walking through a chapter of his former school-life. People just hanging out with good friends, not talking about their future or who they wanted to be. Focusing on the  _ now  _ than on the  _ then.  _ That alone comforted Hinata, but he still didn’t let his guard down. Making friends and possibly starting a family in a life-sentence island was out of the question.

Hinata found himself a vacant table and ate. Taken back by how  _ humane  _ and delicious everything was. Before him was a bowl of porridge, but it was sweet and savory at the same time. Like a comforting touch that made him warm and fuzzy inside. Better than the sloppy rice and vegetables on the voyage to here. Armed with utensil for the first time in days, Hinata shoveled his breakfast down his throat and slurped his orange juice. Making that  _ spitty  _ noise when his lips contacted the glass, and Hinata fitted in well with the rest of the inmates.

More cheerful than he has been, but Hinata still squeaked when someone tapped his shoulder. Whipped his head back and met the freckly face of a soft-soul and his stoic companion. A blindfolded blonde with a bright, green apple in his hands.

“Can we sit here?” asked the soft-soul. Hinata scooted over. Glanced down at the barcodes that were on the strangers’ wrists. A hint of a question tried to crawl up Hinata’s throat, but he couldn’t oust himself as a newbie.  _ Just yet. _

“I’m Hinata.” An introduction was good. Make himself friendly so that he could learn more about the island. Perhaps, get a note or two about his companions. Gage a reading on their powers.

“I’m Yamaguchi and this is Tsukki~”

_ “Tsukishima,”  _ the blonde corrected. Bending forward slightly to take a bite out of his apple.

There were plenty of questions to ask, but Hinata had to be patient. It was breakfast-time. Best not to get on anybody’s  _ hit list  _ on his first day. But every time Hinata glanced around, he didn’t see any fighting. If anything, he just saw  _ regular  _ people doing their own thing. It was hard to keep track that almost everyone here had committed a crime of some severity,  _ enough to land themselves in for a life-sentence.  _ But then, Hinata had to remember that even crooks were Human too.

“You’re new around here, aren’t you?” Yamaguchi was simply stirring his porridge around in swirls, but Hinata took it as an offense. Leaping out from his seat, squaring up for a challenge. Pretty stupid in his mind, because he had no hint of what Yamaguchi’s magic could  _ possibly  _ be. But even so, he didn’t want to  _ lose  _ any of his ten points.

Yamaguchi raised his hands in surrender, explaining that he didn’t want to fight Hinata.

“There’s no use in taking points.”

Hinata narrowed his eyes.  _ “What about your freedom?” _

Tsukishima spoke before Yamaguchi could. “Once you’re here, you can never leave. Got that?”

“What if--?”

_ “You would have to waste your whole lifetime collecting points.”  _ Tsukishima spat over his shoulder, bitterly. “By the time you  _ do  _ have enough, it’s already too late to do anything else.”

“People still try.” Yamaguchi chimed in, motoning Hinata to sit back down. The redhead did, slowly. Keeping an eye on his two  _ companions.  _ “There are some hot-heads here who try to stir trouble for everybody, but their habits get--”

_ “I was framed.” _

Tsukishima jerked his head so quickly, and Hinata could feel the blonde’s stare. Even though a blindfold and Yamaguchi were in between them. Yamaguchi whispered something to his pal, and Tsukishima reverted his attention back to his apple. There was still an intense  _ divide,  _ separating Hinata from two inmates. Who’ve been here longer than him. Who’ve probably said the exact, same phrase as the one he uttered. Hinata couldn’t shake the feeling off, so he kept his mouth shut while Yamaguchi filled the void with happy-chatter.

Telling Hinata that if he intended to keep his points, it was best to relax and enjoy himself for the time-being.

“I could tell that you were new, because you were trying to see if anybody was going to fight.” Yamaguchi nodded to himself.

Hinata’s shoulders sagged. “Was it that noticeable?”

“Noticeable enough that I could feel your jerks when you moved your head,” Tsukishima mumbled.

That was embarrassing, but Hinata had to pull himself together. Especially, especially since someone was  _ trying  _ to escape from the prison. Inmates glanced out the cafeteria window as a dark silhouette crossed the jagged terrain, as if this single attempt had been done hundreds of times before. Hinata rushed to a window, crawling to the tips of his toes. Still not tall enough to see what was going on, but he heard the flutter of wings and a dark mass flew by without warning. Blasting wind onto the taller inmates, making them back away. Squeezing Hinata enough space to come forward, and see what was going on.

Soaring high in the sky was an  _ Avian.  _ Black wings protruding from the male’s back, the set was probably as long as the height of two Hinatas. The redhead didn’t want to use himself as a measurement, but he had nothing else to go by. The  _ Avian’s  _ rags were torn, holes springing up along the pant-legs, and the inmate’s entire back was exposed because of his stubborn wings. Didn’t stop him from flying higher, high enough where he could rival the tallest walls of Kinmokusei Castle.

And for a moment, Hinata thought that the  _ Avian  _ was going to escape.

But as soon as the inmate flew over the tallest wall, a charge-beam cracked from one of the many towers across the castle. Springing a bolt of electricity onto the inmate, baking him half-to-death before the  _ Avian  _ dropped in altitude. Swirling down like a ragged doll before impact. Creating a healthy crater across the courtyard. And upon closer inspection, Hinata saw that the  _ entire  _ courtyard was riddled with similar craters.

Even a bird couldn’t fly to freedom, but the  _ Avian  _ saw the top of the world because no one else could.


	4. Instinct

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fourth lie they tell you: "You can't change"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been awhile since I've last updated. Apologies!
> 
> When you have a cop-minivan story and a fluff story on your shoulders, you gotta juggle in a prison story somewhere

_ “Talent is something you make bloom, Instinct is something you polish.” _

 

To flee or to fight?

The  _ Avian _ \-- _ Inmate 12-22-- _ better known as Kageyama Tobio. Coincidentally, the name suited the  _ Avian  _ pretty well. From the strong silhouette that his wings casted down on the prison courtyard to the flying aspect of his name.

To Hinata, Kageyama was just another criminal. To the criminals, the  _ Avian  _ was a  _ hero.  _ The first and only to see the daybreak’s bell, etched across the horizon. The only  _ real  _ criminal that had any chance of escaping, and Hinata was willing to take it.

He didn’t know how many points Kageyama had. Better yet, the redhead didn’t have a plan. But with the ten points he had, Hinata’s only concern was to gain more. Even, even if meant stripping freedom away from another. But at the same time, Hinata didn’t feel bad about it. Kageyama had wings and if he was smarter, he would find a loophole to freedom because of his wings.

_ Snap out of it!  _ Hinata clawed at his own neck. Registering the pain, feeling the searing pulse illuminate over his skin. A painful reminder because first and foremost, Hinata was an officer. Stripped from his badge, yes. Stripped from his pride,  _ not yet.  _ He had no reason to stand-up or to protect anybody at Kinmokusei Castle but by God, Hinata wasn’t a criminal. And if he stole the points from an injured man, he was  _ worse  _ than a criminal.

Gritting his teeth, Hinata rushed out of the cafeteria and into the courtyard. Where other inmates were already closing in on Kageyama. They kept their distance when the  _ Avian  _ got up. Perched low to the ground, wings sagging off of his back because they took the brunt of the impact. Eyes darting left and right, registering an inmate’s face. How many points did they have? Were they a compulsive fighter or a friendly, neighborhood cellmate? Head twisted back and forth, gaze fixated from one inmate to another, a sensor went off in the  _ Avian’s  _ mind when Hinata approached. Cautiously, but he came a lot closer than all the other prisoners. So close, that the redhead comfortably reached out his hand for Kageyama to grab.

_ “You’re amazing.” _

Kageyama cocked his head. A blank slate appeared in his mind when he looked into Hinata’s eyes. His mind registered nothing. He had no information on the  _ stranger.  _ Kageyama stretched his neck, seeing the  _ whole  _ of Hinata’s body better. No wings, scars, or extra appendages to suggest that Hinata had a biological-magic of some sort. The dirt that clung to the redhead’s rags was still fresh.

Kageyama reached for Hinata’s hand, slowly getting up.

“I don’t know how long you’ve been here, but your determination is awe-inspiring,” Hinata chirped, practically flying in his  _ own  _ way. With the jittering footsteps and occasional hops that resembled the redhead to that of a “hopper bird”. “How long--?”

Kageyama didn’t let go of Hinata’s hand. He drew the redhead close, crushing the man’s fingers. Hinata remained call. Any sign of provocation and his fingers won’t be the only thing that’ll be crushed. Steadied breathing, as if he was out on the field. Looking for criminals, but Kageyama was stronger than the crooks Hinata was used to.

Pressed against the  _ Avian’s  _ chest-- _ hugs were not involved-- _ Hinata felt Kageyama’s heartbeat. Just like a bird’s, the heart pumped a mile a minute. Bursting into a sprint, slowing down, and rocketing off again. Possibly a heart problem, but Kageyama didn’t seem like the type of person who would expose his weakness. So willingly to a newbie in prison, but Hinata shifted his ear. Fascinated with the sudden ease and acceleration of the heartbeats.

Not realizing that he was under a trance. That Kageyama’s wings were raised, poised to strike at Hinata’s skull.

_ “HINATA!” _

Hinata turned his head. From the cafeteria window, his eyes locked onto Tsukishima’s. The blindfold hung loosely around the blonde’s neck.

Hinata’s body moved on its own. He swung his entire body between the gap in Kageyama’s stance, buckling the  _ Avian  _ down. Forcing Kageyama to roll while his wings cushioned his fall. Hinata slid across the courtyard, digging his elbow into the ground. Stopping himself and scrambling back onto his feet.

Hinata’s eyes darted to the cafeteria window, where Tsukishima was quickly blindfolded by Yamaguchi. The blonde gritting his teeth, massaging his eyes with his fingers. Tsukishima’s ability was similar to Akiteru’s.

Hinata whipped his attention back to Kageyama, and the  _ Avian  _ lunged at him.

Both inmates wrestled across the courtyard. If Hinata kept Kageyama’s back pinned, the  _ Avian  _ wouldn’t be able to use his wings. But Kageyama’s wings had him pinned, and all Hinata did was rip feathers while Kageyama’s feet dug into his torso. Kicking his ribs and clawing into his flesh. Hinata flailed, eventually landing a blow. Giving Kageyama a nosebleed but  _ Hell,  _ that wasn’t enough. Struggling to his side, Hinata rolled and took Kageyama with him. Bruising the man’s wings.

Hinata pinned the feisty appendages underneath his feet. Straddling Kageyama’s torso with his thighs, yelling at the  _ Avian  _ to calm down. That he was going to bust a wing if he didn’t.

All Kageyama heard was white noise.

* * *

 

While all the other children could control the elements or do something amazing, Kageyama had wings. Thick feathers trailing down his back, dragging across the floor when his wings weren’t restrained. His mother had to wrap a leather binder around Kageyama’s torso. Every day. To prevent the wings from bursting. To prevent another shirt from ending up in the trash pile, but Kageyama couldn’t do it. His wings longed for freedom. Suffocating the poor boy and crushing his organs until he finally pulled off the leather binder. A black set of wings tore through the back of another shirt, and people in class labeled Kageyama as a  _ freak. _

Even in a world where magic was the norm, biological-magic was just a  _ freak  _ of Nature. All because Kageyama’s magic manifested itself into an extra set of appendages. His wings were a curse, the beginning and end to his misery. But these wings,  _ these  _ wings made him strong.

They obeyed him, never faltered in the face of adversity. While everyone else had to wait for the perfect moment to strike or had to summon an element, Kageyama was already on the attack. Tearing into his opponents with all that he had before they tapped out or  _ worse. _

_ “What do the wings ask of you?” _

That was the first question Kageyama was asked when arrived to the island. Doctor Akiteru tapped his pencil against his clipboard, patiently waiting.

_ “They ask me what I want most.” _

_ “Your response?” _

Kageyama’s wings tore through the back of another shirt.

_ “I want to get stronger.” _

* * *

 

Even with his wings pinned, it didn’t make Kageyama any weaker. If anything, it only made the  _ Avian  _ stronger. Hinata could barely hold onto his opponent. Bashed and scratched from every angle, but Hinata couldn’t let go. Not because he was scared of losing. Hinata was scared for  _ Kageyama’s  _ life. The man had been electrocuted and bashed onto the earth not even  _ five  _ minutes ago, and he was still trying to fight. Add all of that with irregular heartbeats, and Kageyama was a ticking timebomb.

It wasn’t Hinata’s job to hurt Kageyama. He had to restrain the  _ Avian.  _ In some way or form so that Doctor Akiteru could heal him.

Hinata scanned Kageyama’s body. Squinting as he pictured pressure points just below the man’s skin.

* * *

 

_ “You’ll never be a real cop.” _

The words stung Hinata even more when he failed his entrance exam. He had to fight against other magic-users, even though he was  _ organic  _ and the rest were  _ GMOs.  _ Hinata lost his first round. Badly burned across his torso and back, but the healers told him that he’ll survive. With a few scars to prove it, and there was a huge one at the base of his back. It still ached after Hinata recovered, sitting at home with Natsu on his lap.

_ “Hey, Shoyo.”  _ Natsu looked up, eyelashes fluttering in the summer heat.  _ “What’s going to happen now?” _

Hinata didn’t have the heart to tell his sister the truth. In fact, she would  _ know  _ that he was lying. And Hinata was only spared because Natsu had to go to school; however, her words haunted him. What  _ was  _ he going to do? He didn’t have any magic and still relied on paper-charms. They weren’t going to be enough, and Hinata knew that. He wasted his entire life on a career-choice, and he already blew his chance. Unable to keep up with the other magic-users because of his handicap.

But while sulking around at home did  _ wonders  _ for Hinata’s mood, being disappointed got boring after awhile. And one day, Hinata finally got up and trained for the next year’s entrance exam. He poured through all sorts of books. Creating flashcards to remember laws while searching on the internet for self-defense. Most were magic-based, but Hinata found a few that were perfect for someone like him.  _ Pressure points. _

It took  _ months  _ before Hinata finally remembered where all of them were. He asked Natsu if she could be his batting-partner, and Hinata grew more hopeful when he was able to  _ see  _ the pressure points on his sister. Knowing where to strike and immobilizing her, but also quick to catch Natsu so that she could recover.

During the next entrance exam, Hinata came out in sixth place.

But he passed.

* * *

 

Pressure point at the base of Kageyama’s neck, just below his Adam’s Apple. Possibly a pressure point or several on the spot where Kageyama’s wings protruded from his back.

Hinata took aim, finger hovering a centimeter away from Kageyama’s neck. Effectively stunning the  _ Avian,  _ eyes darting away from Hinata’s face. Focused on the finger aimed just below his Adam’s Apple.

“You don’t have to push yourself so hard.”

Hinata’s voice broke Kageyama from his trance. He looked up. Hinata was standing, bent down with his hand reaching out for Kageyama’s.

_ I want to get stronger. _

The thought echoed in the back of Kageyama’s mind.

Slowly, he reached out a few fingers and Hinata helped him up.


	5. Strangers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fifth lie they tell you: "You'll make friends"

_ Perhaps, we’re meant to be strangers _

 

Akiteru  _ tsked  _ his tongue when Kageyama came into his office. The  _ Avian  _ refused to meet the doctor’s gaze, but Akiteru grilled out all the information he needed before shuffling through the medicine cabinets. Mixing ingredients into a brass cauldron, stirring gingerly while the doctor had a pleasant chat with Hinata. How were the past seven hours? Did Hinata get enough to eat? Did he fight somebody?  _ Of course,  _ he did.  _ Why else would he be at the office? _

Akiteru laughed at his own joke, earning strange stares from Kageyama and Hinata.

Resting behind his desk, Akiteru glanced back and forth between the two inmates. An odd smile across his lips, but nobody had the heart to say anything. If Akiteru really wanted to, he could command one of them to speak. However, what was he going to gain from all of that? Well, Akiteru had better uses for his magic than riddling out information from a pair of rusty inmates. Pouring the contents of his cauldron into a saucy-cup, Akiteru pushed the container into Kageyama’s hands.

“Drink. It’ll negate any poison.”

_ “Poison?”  _ Kageyama spat, swishing the potion around.

“You fought with Inmate 6-21, is that correct?” Akiteru flipped through his clipboard, thumbing through the pages he had before finding Kageyama’s page. Glancing up, the doctor kindly explained that he couldn’t address Hinata directly.  _ By name, _ at least. All part of keeping inmates secluded to themselves and themselves only, and Akiteru was simply following protocol.

Hinata understood. He had to do the same when he was still an officer. He couldn’t say it, not with Kageyama in the room. And the  _ Avian  _ was perched in his seat, wings sagging onto the floor when he finished drinking Akiteru’s potion. Wiping the mossy liquid away with the back of his hand, smearing the sickly green across his cheek.

“Inmate 6-21 didn’t have anything poisonous on his person,” Kageyama mumbled.

“When he bites, you’ll understand.”

Akiteru tossed his clipboard aside before standing up. Coming over with medical wraps, coiling them around Kageyama’s wings. Hinata wasn’t sure what to think. The Human inside told him that a few wraps weren’t going to heal anything, but Hinata had to remember that he was living in a world where magic could  _ almost  _ do anything. It didn’t hurt to believe that Akiteru possibly bewitched the medical wraps to do what he couldn’t do. Get close to an inmate, unless they were dead or in need of a surgical operation.

Hinata had half the nerve to tell Akiteru that he was  _ organic,  _ but the redhead had already kind of given-up on that train of thought. If people  _ actually  _ believed in him, they wouldn’t have stuck him  _ here _ . To fight for his life, so Hinata remained nonchalant. Barely moved when Akiteru tugged medical wraps around his torso. Telling Hinata that his wounds should heal within a few hours. And when the doctor stepped back to admire his work, he gave the inmate a classic wink.

Honestly, Hinata wasn’t sure if he should judge Akiteru or not, but the gesture made more sense when he and Kageyama left the doctor’s office a few minutes later. The cold, stone tiles beneath their feet as they walked. Breakfast was over. Time to spend a few hours in their cells before going out for lunch and for exercise. Hinata kept a good distance between him and Kageyama. Not sure if he should speak, or if he should talk about the fight they had.

Kageyama folded his wings against his back.  _ “Watch yourself.” _

Hinata jerked his head up, just in time to see Kageyama tighten his fists. “Huh?”

_ “Once the others realize that you took my points, they’ll be after you.” _

“I only have ten points, what are…” Hinata’s voice trailed off when Kageyama tugged at his own collar. A number illuminated the floor in front of his feet. A big, fat  _ zero  _ stared up at the  _ Avian  _ before fading away. Hinata gulped. He tugged at his own collar. Eyes wide when he saw the number. Speechless, a heavy weight of guilt sagging his stomach.

Kageyama steadied his own breathing. Loosening his fists.

_ “By the time I’m done with you--”  _ Instead of finishing, Kageyama let the statement float on its own before he walked back to his own cell. Hinata’s active imagination detailed the worst, so he hurriedly caught up to the  _ Avian.  _ Blocking the path with his own body.

“I’m not like you,” Hinata blurted.

Kageyama scoffed. “We don’t look alike.”

_ “That’s not what I meant,” _ Hinata hissed, hitting his own chest with a fist. “I’m not a magic-user.”

Kageyama raised an eyebrow. “Why else would you be here if you’re not?”

_ “Because I was framed!” _

Seriously, the phrase was getting old, and Hinata didn’t have the strength to emphasize it like before. He had come to accept that nobody was going to believe him, but the tired phrase was the only thing he could claim as his own. Not the  _ damn  _ points stored in his collar. He didn’t mean to take Kageyama’s freedom, but the  _ Avian  _ snapped back that he lost the fight as soon as he accepted Hinata’s hand.

Eventually, Hinata had to step aside to let the  _ Avian  _ pass. No point in apologizing now.

* * *

 

“Tsukki?” Yamaguchi’s voice rang out in the darkness. Timid because of the silence, but Tsukishima heard it loud and clear.

He stirred, slightly. Motioning his hands until he felt his cell’s walls, slowly rising to his feet and shuffling closer to the edge of his imprisonment. Poking an ear through the wooden cage, listening to Yamaguchi better.

His friend was somewhere. Sounded like Yamaguchi was right across from him, but Tsukishima couldn’t be sure. He would have to pull off his blindfold to check, but the thought stung his eyes. The blonde gritted his teeth. Keeping his hands at his side, but the pain was too much to bear. He brought his fingers up and massaged them over his eyelids.

“You don’t have--”

_ “I hate it,”  _ Tsukishima snarled, nearly digging with his fingernails to quell the fiery wrath inside of him.

Yamaguchi licked his lips, trying to find his voice. “Why did you help Hinata?”

Tsukishima rested his hands against his side. Listening. He heard Yamaguchi’s voice, and  _ only  _ Yamaguchi’s voice. The cells all around them were quiet, but it didn’t mean that they could speak freely. So for now, Tsukishima had to let Yamaguchi’s question fade. For himself, Tsukishima pondered on the same thought.

Why did he help Hinata?

They were just strangers and nothing more.


End file.
